Research
It all started when I began a new art project inspired by the patterns I’ve seen my entire life. As I sketched and explored ideas, I realized something important: I had no idea what the linework I was creating actually meant, or if it even had meaning at all. Wanting to honor those who came before me and the rich heritage of my people, I turned to the first place I knew—Google.
I found incredible resources like hmongembroidery.org, the Hmong Cultural Center, and the Hmong Museum. But even then, the meaning behind the textiles still felt out of reach. That’s when I discovered the book Hmong Reverse Appliqué: Cultural Meaning and Significance by Lisa Gerdner. It was full of rich insight and detailed research, but one major challenge stood out. It wasn’t accessible. The information flew past me. If I was struggling to absorb it, how could I expect my mother or my aunt to understand it?
The book was an amazing scholarly resource, but it wasn’t something I could use easily without constantly referring back to it. That’s when I decided to start collecting everything I was learning from all these incredible sources and turn it into something simple, clear, and usable. That was the start of the Hmong Pattern Library.
This work is informed by resources from:
hmongembroidery.org written by Xai S. Lor, Hmong Cultural Center
Hmong Reverse Appliqué: Cultural Meaning and Significance by Lisa Gerdner
Conversations with my family, especially my mother, Mai Chou Vang
Kev Tshawb Fawb
Txhua yam pib thaum kuv tab tom npaj pib ib qhov haujlwm kos duab tshiab uas tau tshoov kuv siab los ntawm cov qauv ntaub uas kuv tau pom tag kuv sim neej. Thaum kuv tab tom kos thiab xav txog tej tswv yim tshiab, kuv mam li pom tias kuv yeej tsis paub qhov kuv tab tom tsim txhais li cas, los yog puas muaj lub ntsiab lus tseeb. Vim xav hwm cov neeg uas tuaj ua ntej kuv thiab txhawb nqa peb haiv Hmoob txoj kev vam meej, kuv pib tshawb nrhiav hauv qhov kuv paub zoo tshaj: Google.
Kuv nrhiav tau tej chaw pab tau zoo heev xws li hmongembroidery.org, Hmong Cultural Center, thiab Hmong Museum. Tabsis txawm li ntawd los, qhov txhais thiab lub ntsiab lus ntawm cov qauv ntaub tseem nyob deb deb ntawm qhov kuv to taub tau. Ces kuv thiaj nrhiav tau phau ntawv Hmong Reverse Appliqué: Cultural Meaning and Significance uas Lisa Gerdner sau. Phau ntawv ntawd muaj kev txawj ntse thiab kev tshawb fawb zoo heev, tabsis kuv pom ib qho teeb meem loj: nws nyuaj rau nkag siab. Thaum kuv nyeem, txhua yam zoo li ya dhau mus. Yog kuv twb nyeem tsis tau nkag siab lawm, kuv ho yuav cia li xav tias kuv niam los yog kuv phauj puas yuav nkag siab tau li cas?
Phau ntawv ntawd yog ib qho chaw kawm muaj nqis heev, tabsis nws tsis yog ib yam uas kuv siv tau yooj yim yam tsis tas yuav rov mus nyeem tas zog. Yog vim li ntawd kuv thiaj txiav txim siab sau tseg txhua yam uas kuv kawm tau los ntawm cov chaw no, thiab muab kho ua ib yam uas yooj yim, meej, thiab siv tau. Qhov ntawd yog qhov pib ntawm Hmong Pattern Library.
Qhov kev ua haujlwm no tau txais kev tshoov siab los ntawm cov chaw no:
hmongembroidery.org (sau los ntawm Xai S. Lor)
Hmong Cultural Center
Hmong Reverse Appliqué: Cultural Meaning and Significance (sau los ntawm Lisa Gerdner)
Cov lus sib tham nrog kuv tsev neeg, tshwj xeeb tshaj yog kuv niam, Mai Chou Vang